 Avalanche inbox Avalanche writer Rick Sadowski answers readers' e-mails every Wednesday.Send your questions to sadowskir@rockymountainnews.com and he'll answer the best questions. |
Game On!
Barrie Grice from Parker would like to know which teams have some good, young talent ...
Q: I would like to know who you think has some of the best young talent in the NHL, teams that will be contenders/top teams for the next decade should they keep the current pieces in place? Maybe the two or three top up-and-coming teams and the young or key players you associate with this rise? And please, exclude the obvious Crosby/Malkin/Staal/Fleury-led Pittsburgh Penguins.
A: Here are three teams that aren't likely to contend this season but have plenty of very good young players and should show a great deal of improvement:
Los Angeles: Center Anze Kopitar, 20, is 6-4, 220 pounds. He had 20 goals and 41 assists last year as a rookie; Right wings Mike Cammalleri, 25, and Dustin Brown, 22. Cammalleri has averaged 30 goals his first two full NHL seasons, while Brown is coming off a 17-goal, 46-point season. Left wing Alex Froloff, 25, posted 35 goals and 71 points last year. Defenseman Jack Johnson, 20, is a Calder Trophy candidate this year, and goalie Jonathan Bernier, 19, is getting a long look. Bernier was the Kings' No. 1 pick (11th overall) in the 2006 draft.
Washington: Left wing Alex Ovechkin, 22, is one of the league's most electrifying players and has totaled 98 goals his first two seasons. Left wing Alex Semin, 23, had 38 goals and 73 points in his second NHL season last year. Center Nicklas Backstrom (not to be confused with Minnesota goalie Niklas Backstrom) is 19, was the Capitals' No. 1 pick (fourth overall) in 2006 and is a Calder Trophy candidate.
Florida: Defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, 23, is a handful at 6-4, 210 pounds. He had 12 goals and 42 points last season. Right wing Nathan Horton, 22, had a big year last season with 31 goals and 62 points. Center Stephen Weiss, 24, is coming off a nice season in which he produced 20 goals and 48 points.
And let's not ignore the Avalanche with Paul Stastny, 21; Wojtek Wolski, 21; Peter Budaj, 25; and two guys in the minors -- Chris Stewart, 20, and T.J. Hensick, 22 -- that could very well turn into big-time players in the NHL.
Ben Levisohn from New York City is hopeful that Peter Budaj will be the kind of goalie the Avalanche has been seeking since Patrick Roy retired ...
Q: I saw Peter Budaj play in the World Junior Championships a number of years ago. He stonewalled a much stronger Czech team, stopping over 40 shots while his Slovaks barely mustered double digits. His goaltending was the difference in Slovakia's 1-0 win. I was elated when I saw the Avs had drafted him. But that was then. Do you think Budaj will ever be that kind of goalie for the Avs?
A: Based on how well Budaj played in the second half of last season -- especially in the final weeks -- he could very well turn out to be the real deal. But this will be Budaj's first NHL season as the No. 1 man in the crease, so he has to prove that he can do the job from the beginning and over the long haul. The Avalanche has always liked his potential, which is why David Aebischer was traded. I saw Budaj play in the Olympics in 2006, and he was pretty terrific for Slovakia. He doesn't lack for confidence, either, and that is a good quality to have. I recently spoke with an executive from another Western Conference team, and he raved about Budaj and believes he is capable of delivering the kind of goaltending they will need to compete for the Northwest Division title.
J. Blair from Clarion, Iowa, wonders if the Avalanche learned anything from last year’s mediocre start …
Q: Hope the Avs learn something from last year with that great push they had at the end of the season. Do they realize that (poor) games in October, November and December will haunt you in the end when you’re looking for a point here and there in April?
A: No doubt the Avalanche realizes how important a good start would be after what happened last season. It’s pretty much all the coaches and players talked about over the summer and in training camp. Whether they walk (or in this case, skate) the talk will be known soon enough.